973.7L63   Lincoln  Society  of 
EL6388L    Peekskill  (New  York), 


Lincoln  in  Peekskill. 


LINCOLN  ROOM 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


LINCOLN  IN  PEEKSKILL 

The  Lincoln  Exedra 

The  Lincoln  Memorial  in  Books 


Exercises  at  the  dedication  of  The  Lincoln 
Memorial  in  Peekskill,  October  6,  1 925,  in 
commemoration  of  the  visit  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  to  Peekskill,  February  19,  1 86 1 . 


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Published  by  The  Lincoln  Society  in  Pee'  skii 


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t»rER1&QXJKG  THE  SJ>0?  WJCKE 

'  ABRAHAM  UNCDJLS'- 


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wlrscfir    L 


CAf>TAiN  JOHN  *M1TH,JR. 


The  Exedra  Tablet 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://archive.org/details/lincolninpeekskiOOIinc 


THE  LINCOLN  MEMORIAL  WAS  DEDICATED 


The  Lincoln  Exedra  on  South  Street 


The  dedication  of  the  Lincoln 
Memorial  and  the  unveiling  of  the  tab- 
let upon  it,  took  place  in  the  presence 
of  a  large  audience  assembled  in  front 
of  the  exedra  on  South  street  over- 
looking the  Hudson,  on  Tuesday  after- 
noon, October  6,  1925,  beginning  at 
quarter  past  two  o'clock. 

Chester  A.  Smith,  President  of  the 
Lincoln  Society,  presided  over  the 
exercises  whic'h  'began  with  a  medley 
of  national  airs  by  the  Peeksklll  High 
School  orchestra,  led  by  Miss  M.  Viola 
Willis.  The  final  air  was  the  Star 
Spangled  Banner. 

President  Smith  said: 

"We  will  be  led  in  prayer  by  Dr.  S. 
Willis  McFadden,  president  of  the 
Peekskill  Preachers'  Association." 

Rev.  Dr.  McFadden  offered  the  fol- 
lowing invocation : 

"Our  Lord,  our  God,  we  look  unto 
Thee  thanking  Thee  for  our  numerous 
blessings,  for  life  and  for  this  great 
land  with  (its  institutions,  its  liberty 
and  all  those  things  which  have  come 
unto  us  through  the  gate  of  the  nation. 
We  look  unto  Thee  and  acknowledge 


Thee  as  our  God  and  the  one  that  hath 
brought  unto  us  all  these  privileges 
and  responsibilities.  We  come  unto 
Thee  in  these  institutions  and  we 
thank  Thee  for  the  vision  and  for  the 
principles  which  originated  them. 

We  thank  Thee  for  all  our  great 
forebears  and  as  Thou  hast  been  with 
them,  we  look  unto  Thee  and  pray  that 
Thou  wilt  be  with  their  sons. 

As  we  come  this  afternoon  to  unveil 
this  memorial  in  honor  of  that  great 
liberator  and  leader  of  men,  we  wish 
to  thlank  Thee  for  the  part  that  he  has 
played;  for  his  example  to  the  nation; 
and  so  we  pray,  that  as  this  memorial 
is  dedicated  to  that  great  spirit  it  may 
remind  us  of  him,  of  that  great  man 
who  knew  Thee  and  who  knew  tne 
power  which  Thou  dost  manifest. 
Help  us  to  realize,  our  Lord,  our  God, 
that  all  things  are  with  Thee  and  that 
Thou  dost  lead  great  causes  and  crown 
them. 

Bless  us  and  lead  us.  Bless  those 
who  are  in  authority;  our  president, 
his  body  of  counselors  and  all  those 
who  are  associated  with  him  in  lead- 
ing this  great  land.      Bless    our    own 


commonwealth  and  governor.  Be  our 
counselor  and  help  us  realize  as  citi- 
zens and  as  leaders  .that  we  live  in  a 
land  that  our  Lord  careth  for  and  that 
his  eyes  are  upon  it  even  unto  the  end. 
Bless  us  now  in  the  exercises  of  the 
afternoon  and  may  those  who  rest  by 
this  memorial     come     to    realize    the 


Rev.  Dr.   S.  Willis  McFadden 

charity,  the  wisdom  and  the  greatness 
of  that  leader  to  whom  it  is  dedicated 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son  and 
Holy  Spirit." 

Welcome  by  President  Smith 

(President  Smith  then  spoke  as  fol- 
lows: 

"I  welcome  you  today  on  behalf  of 
the  Lincoln  Society  in  Peekskill  to 
these  dedication  exercises. 

We  are  grateful  for  the  presence  of 
these  representatives  of  our  various 
patriotic  and  civic  organizations ;  for 
these  (speakers  who  shall  address  us: 
for  the  faculty  and  students  of  our 
High  school  and  its  orchestra;  for  all 
these  friends  and  citizens. 

We  dedicate  today  this  memorial  to 


Abraham  Lincoln,  the  greatest  per- 
sonality our  world  has  seen  since 
Jesus.  We  recall  the  honor  he  paid 
our  village  when  on  that  momentous 
journey  from  Springfield  to  Washing- 
ton to  assume  the  .presidency  he 
stopped  here  for  a  few  brief  minutes, 
February  19,  1861. 

February  12,  1921,  sixty  years  after 
that  event,  John  Smith,  Jr.,  one  of 
Lincoln's  soldiers  and  a  former  pres- 
ident of  the  Lincoln  Society,  presented 
to  the  Society  this  plot  of  land  as  the 
site  of  a  Lincoln  Memorial.  The  late 
Homer  Anderson,  likewise  a  veteran 
of  the  Civil  War,  and  a  former  presi- 
dent of  the  Society,  who  was  very 
much  interested  in  the  idea  of  a  mem- 
orial, was  appointed,  at  a  meeting  of 
the  Board  of  Directoris  on  March  1, 
1925,  as  a  special  committee  to  present 
to  the  Board  at  its  next  meeting  plans 
for  a  memorial,  but  before  the  time 
for  that  meeting  had  arrived  his  sud- 
den death  had  ensued.  He  had,  how- 
ever, spoken  to  Gilbert  H.  Anderson, 
the  architect,  about  the  matter,  and  as 
the  latter  had  kindly  offered  to  con- 
tribute his  services  in  drawing  the 
plans,  I  asked  him  to  do  so.  They 
were  drawn  and  later  presented  to  the 
Board  of  Directors  of  the  Society  and 
approved,  the  Board  deciding  to  have 
the  Memorial  erected  if  the  money  for 
the  same  could  be  procured.  Victor  C. 
Anderson,  the  artist,  painted  a  very 
beautiful  picture  of  the  proposed 
memorial  and  of  the  view  of  'Peekskill 
bay  and  the  Highlands  from  this  site, 
and  this  proved  a  great  aid  in  pre- 
senting the  matter  to  those  friends 
who  became  subscribers  and  thus 
made  possible  the  memorial. 

Contributors  to  Exedra  Fund 

There  were  twelve  $250  subscrip- 
tions: 

Coleridge  W.  Hart  and  Mrs.  Sara  W. 
Hart,  Meilvin  R.  Horton,  Cornelius  A. 
Pugsley,  Chester  A.  Smith,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frank  IN.  Clinton  in  memory  of 
Allan  L.  Sutton;  Martin  Nilsson, 
Enoch  J.  Tompkins,  Mrs.  Enoch  J. 
Tompkins,  George  W.  Buchanan, 
Chauncey  M.  Depew,  Louis  Ettlinger, 
Thomas  Nelson,  Jr. 

There  was  one  $200  subscription: 

Grenci  &  Ellis. 

There  were  eight  $100  subscriptions: 

Charles  E.     Howard,    Benjamin     F. 


McCabe,  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  Sons 
of  Vetera.n<s,  William  H.  Stevens.  Wil- 
liam Church  Osborn,  James  Dempsey, 
Dr.  John  A.  Smith  and  Major  Fred  A. 
Smith. 

There  was  one  $75  subscriber : 

A.  S.  Reiiza. 

There  was  one  $50  subscriber: 

A  friend. 

There  were  12  $25  subscriptions: 

Dr.  A.  E.  Phin;  Mrs.  Emma  Drum; 
Fred  J.  Bohlmann;  Woman's  Chris- 
tian Temperance  Union;  Dr.  Moses 
Scuccimarra;  Charles  E.  Winslow; 
Joseph  Testa;  William  Belknap;  John 
Towart  Jr.;  Mrs.  Homer  Anderson  and 
Miss  Sonora  Anderson;  The  Rotary 
Club;  the  Colored  citizens  of  Peeks- 
kill  (by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Egbert  Green, 
Samuel  Halstead,  James  Hankins, 
Fred  Rivers,  Edward  Lewis,  Walter 
Jackson,  Clinton  Aray,  Weldon  Fields, 
Harry  Tapley,  James  Taylor,  Sylvester 
Stevenson,  John  Coleman,  Reliable 
Catering  Co.,  Peekskill  Dry  Cleaning 
Company.) 

There  were  three  $10  subscriptions: 

Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  Aux- 
iliary No.  41,  Sons  of  Veterans,  Fred 
Christopher. 

There  were  three  $5  subscriptions: 

Elbert  H.  Bagley,  A  friend,  A.  W.  A. 
Stevens. 

Victor  C.  Anderson  presented  the 
painting  with  the  understanding  that 
it  he  sold  and  the  money  received 
therefrom  he  his  contribution  to  the 
fund.  It  will  'shortly  toe  sent  to  Mr. 
Enoch  J.  Tompkins,  in  Florida,  who 
has  purchased  it  under  this  condition, 
the  price  to  be  fixed  by  the  artist. 

The  total  cost  of  the  IMeimoTial  was 
$4,380. 

It  could  not  have  been  built  for  this 
amount,  however,  if  the  following 
persons  had  not  made  the  following 
contributions : 

Reynolds  &  Chase,  surveyors,  sur- 
veyed the  property  and  made  an  ele- 
vation map  without  charge. 

Gilbert  H.  Anderson,  architect, 
drew  the  plans  and  specification's  and 
superintended  the  work  without 
charge. 

Greinci  &  Ellis,  owners  of  the  Mohe- 
gan  granite  quarry,  furnished  and  set 
up  the  granite  at  cost. 

A.  S.  Renza,  who  did  the  foundation 
and  concrete  work,  did  some  of  that 
Work  at  less  than  actual  cost. 


Miss  Evelyn  IW.  Smith,  president  of 
the  Amawalk  Nurseries,  contributed 
and  planted  without  charge  these  fine 
trees  and  shriito'bery. 

The  Peekskill  Lighting  and  Railroad 
Company  through  its  superintendent, 
Charlies  Le  Clair,  removed  the  light- 
ing wires  which  came  over  the  Memor- 
ial and  placed  them  beyond  it  to  the 
north. 

Bucher  and  Rotoinson  contributed 
soil  for  filling  in  the  ground  atoout  the 
trees. 

Thanks  Contributors 

I  cannot  find  words  to  express  ade- 
quately my  appreciation  of  the  gener- 
osity of  these  ipublic  spirited  people, 
who  by  their  money  contributions  and 


Chester  A.  Smith 

otherwise  have  made  possible  this 
memorial  and  this  another  improve- 
ment to  our  village.  I  can  only  say  to 
them  both  personally  and  on  behalf  of 
the  Lincoln  Society:  We  thank  you 
and  trust  that  the  memorial  Which  you 
have  made  it  possible  for  us  to  erect 
meets  with  your  approval. 

iMy  friends,  it  is  to  me  a  very  splen- 
did thing  which  we  have  toeew  able  to 
do  with  the  help  of  these  generous 
contributors:  to  set  up  this  granite 
exedra,  this  artistic  and  useful  memor- 


ial  to  Lincoln,  in  this  beautiful  and 
commanding  place  in  our  village. 
And  yet  I  would  that  we  might  do  even 
a  greater  thing:  that  we  might  put 
into  practice  in  our  personal  and 
community  life  Lincoln's  ideals:  Lin- 
coln's honesty,  faith,  moral  courage; 
Lincoln's  hatred  of  the  liquor  traffic 
and  his  love  of  total  abstinence;  Lin- 
coln's 'belief  in  law  and  in  law  en- 
forcement; Lin  coin's  respect  and  con- 
sideration for  other  creeds  and  races 
than  our  own.  This,  after  all,  is  the 
most  effective  way  in  which  we  can 
honor  the  memory  of  Lincoln. 

I  trust  that  this  memorial  may  in- 
spire us  and  those  who  shall  come 
after  us  to  pay  this  continuing  and 
greater  tribute  to  his  memory. 

It  is  in  this  spirit  that  we  turn  over 
the  Memorial  to  the  care  and  custody 
of  the  village  of  (Peeks kill. 

We  are  very  glad  to  have  present 
with  us  upon  this  occasion  to  bring 
the  greetings  of  the  village  our  village 
president,  who  is  also  a  director  and 
ex-president  of  the  Lincoln  Society, 
and  who  has  contributed  much  to  its 
success.  IFor  many  years  as  Chairman 
of  the  Speakers'  committee  he  has 
helped  bring  to  us  as  speakers  at  our 
annual  dinners  some  of  the  distin- 
guished men  of  the  state  and  nation. 
I  present  to  you  our  Village  President 
Hon.  James  K.  Apgar,  who  will  pre- 
sent to  us  the  greetings  of  the  village 
of  Peekskill." 

President  Apgrar's  Address 

President  Apgar  spoke  as  follows: 

"Mr.  Smith,  members  of  the  Lincoln 
Society,  invited  guests,  and  citizens  Of 
Peekskill:  This  is  a  most  interesting 
ceremony,  made  so  by  an  unusual 
event;  the  kind  of  an  event  that  would 
not  be  taking  place  here  today  had  it 
not  been  for  the  individual  efforts  of 
one  of  our  citizens,  who  conceived  the 
idea,  formulated  the  plans,  raised  the 
money  and  put  the  plans  into  execu- 
tion. It  is  a  splendid  piece  of  work 
and  I  congratulate  and  commend  the 
efforts  of  this  man,  who  belongs  to  the 
younger  generation  of  Peekskill — the 
President  of  the  Lincoln  Society,  Ches- 
ter A.  Smith. 

Prom  every  point  of  the  compass 
where  we  have  assembled  today  there 
is  something  interesting  to  me  and  it 
stead  of  Gen.  James  W.  Ousted,  whose 
memory  will  never  fade;  and  last,  but 


by  no  means  least,  the  home  of  John 
Smith,  one-time  president  of  the  Lin- 
coln .Society  and  donor  of  this  prop- 
erty; all  of  this  in  sight  of  the  old 
presents  itself  as  a  picture  something 
like  this: 

"Facing  the  east,  I  observe  the  one- 
time residence  of  Hon.  Owen  T.  Coffin; 
next,  the  one-time  residence  of  Hon. 
James  W.  Husted,  our  representative 
in  the  Legislature  and  a  very  efficient 
Congressman;  the  next,  the  old  home- 


James  X.  Apgar 

homestead  of  that  very  distinguished 
and  eminent  citizen,  the  Hon.  Chaun- 
cey  M.  Depew. 

"Looking  to  the  north,  over  this  val- 
ley of  Industry,  Sit.  Mary's  and  St. 
Gabriel's  school,  one  of  the  finest  in- 
stitutions of  learning  in  this  state. 

"To  the  south,  the  'Franciscan  Con- 
vent and  St.  Joseph  Home;  another 
wonderful  institution,  where  boys  and 
girls  iare  properly  housed,  clothed  and 
fed.  A  little  village  within  itself;  I 
might  say,  with  its  band  of  music,  its 
fire  department  and  its  military  or- 
ganization. And  when  they  leave  that 
institution  they  know  something  about 
the  Constitution  of  the  State  of  New 
York;  they  know  something  about  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and 
they  are  good  American  citizens. 

"And   to  the   west,  across  beautiful 


6 


Peekskill  Bay,  Dunderberg  Mountain, 
unsurpassed  in  its  grandeur  at  any 
point  along  the  Hudson  river. 

"To  the  northwest,  Anthony's  Nose, 
the  State  Camp  of  Instruction,  Anns- 
ville  Creek  Which  Hendriek  Hudson 
thought  was  the  end  of  the  Hudson 
river,  and  Iona  Island,  once  dear  to 
many  Peeks'killers  as  a  pleasure  re- 
sort, but  which  now  is  a  United  States 
arsenal.  And  as  you  approach  that 
•beautiful  bend  in  the  Hudson,  before 
•reaching  West  Point  Military  Acade- 
my, while  you  cannot  see  it  alii  can 
visualize  it,  the  wonderful  (Peekskill 
Bear  Mountain  Bridge,  the  legislation 
of  which  was  made  possible  by  Sena- 
tor Mastick,  who  introduced  the  bill 
and  passed  it.  All  can  visualize  this 
great  structure  connecting  two  great 
highways  on  either  side  of  the  river. 

"That  is  the  .picture  which  presents 
itself  to  me  and  amid  these  surround- 
ings, Mr.  Smith,  and  in  the  presence 
of  this  assemblage,  I  take  great  pleas- 
ure as  President  of  the  [Village  in  ac- 
cepting the  custodianship  of  this  work 
which  you  have  presented  to  the  Vil- 
lage today." 

President  Smith  then  continued: 

We  are  thankful  to  have  still  living 
among  us  some  of  the  men  who  fought 
under  Lincoln  in  the  Civil  War.  We 
are  honored  to  have  present  with  us 
upon  this  occasion  some  members  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Their 
greetings  will  be  presented  to  us  by 
the  Past  Commander  of  Abram  Vos- 
burg'h  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic, Henry  S.  Free,  whom  it  is  my  high 
honor  now  to  present  to  you. 

H.  S.  Free  Saw  Lincoln  Here 

Mr.  Free  spoke  as  follows: 
"Mr.  President,  in  response  to  your 
very  cordial  invitation  in  the  name  of 
the  Lincoln  Society  to  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  to  witness  the 
unveiling  by  the  Lincoln  Society  of  a 
memorial  to  our  brave  President  and 
Commander,  Abraham  Lincoln,  I  rep- 
resent here  simply  a  remnant  of  that 
great  army  of  men  who  when  the  re- 
bels were  in  arms  went  forth  to  battle 
and  if  needs  be  suffer  the  supreme 
sacrifice  in  defense  of  the  flag. 

I  may  add  also  that  of  all  the  volun- 
teers who  Went  forth  from  within  the 
close  limits  of  our  community,  I  stand 
here,  by  the  favor  of    a    kind    provi- 


dence, one  of  the  very    few    that    re- 
main. 

Mr.  President,  It  is  my  purpose  now 
to  be  brief.  I  have  in  mind  some 
items  of  interest  that  occurred  under 
my  personal  supervision  or  oversight. 
In  the  month  of  February  18'61,  it  was 
proclaimed  throughout  the  land  that 
the  president  elect  would  make  his 
journey  from  Springfield  to  Washing- 
ton by  way  of  the  (New  York  and  Hud- 
son River  Railroad,  that  the  presiden- 
tial train  would  stop  at  Peekskill  and 
that  the  president  would  deliver  a 
speech.     Upon  the  day  that  the  train 


Henry  S.  Free 

was  to  arrive  in  Peekskill,  the  people 
began  to  gather.  Some  of  them  had 
come  to  town  before  the  day  had  ar- 
rived. It  was  a  group  Very  different 
in  appearance  from  what  we  have 
here  today.  There  were  men  of  the 
professions ;  there  were  farmers,  mer- 
chants, clothiers,  'manufacturers,  me- 
chanics. Th'ere  were  shop  men  and 
laboring  men,  copperheads  and  cold 
fe'et,  and  there  was  also  a  sprinkling 
here  and  there  of  the  opposite  sex. 
It  was  a  motley  crowd,  come  to  see 
and  hear  what  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
abolition  president,  had  to  say. 
The  train  arrived  in  due  time  about 


2  p.  m.  It  stopped  (approximately  one 
hundred  feet  this  side  of  the  Hudson 
avenue  crossing.  The  locomotive  was 
detached  from  the  train  and  passed 
down  the  track  and  in  a  few  moments 
the  president-elect  appeared,  a  man 
of  tall  sinewy  form  and  smiling  face. 
I  had  a  standing  place  about  one  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  platform  of  the  car. 
Hie  stood  upon  the  platform  with  the 
Hon.  William  iNels'on  at  his  left.  He 
began  to  speak  and,  oh,  how  I  wish 
memory  had  served  me  so  that  I  might 
repeat  the  words  that  he  uttered.  As 
the  speech  was  finished  the  crowd 
(gradually  disappeared.  The  locomo- 
tive was  attached  to  the  train  and  it 
continued  on  its  way.  As  I  watched 
it  going,  I  wondered  how  hard  that 
man  would  hit  the  shackles  that  had 
held  a  race  in  bondage. 

In  his  journey  to  Washington  and 
at  the  time  of  his  inauguration  with 
what  did  he  meet?  What  was  there 
that  confronted  him?  Washington 
was  a  hot  'bed  of  Southern  sympathiz- 
ers. The  army  of  the  United  States 
was  unorganized  and  neglected.  There 
was  a  navy  of  ninety  vessels  of  all 
sorts,  sizes  and  conditions.  Only 
forty-two  of  them  were  in  commission 
and  they  were  scattered,  you  might 
say,  to  the  four  corners  of  the  earth, 
to  Asiatic,  African,  European  and  Pa- 
cific stations;  all  scattered  purposely 
by  the  preceding  imbecile  administra- 
tion. It  would  take  from  six  weeks 
to  six  months  to  put  the  balance  of 
the  navy  into  condition. 

Those  were  some  of  the  things  that 
confronted  'President  Lincoln  as  he 
entered  upon  his  duties  as  Chief  Mag- 
istrate of  this  nation.  For  four  long 
years  he  watched  and  waited,  labored 
and  prayed  for  a  restored  union  and 
when  he  lay  motionless  and  cold  in 
death  he  had  made  possible  the  uni- 
ted nation  and  had  made  a  beginning 
toward  that  prosperity  and  progress 
which  we  see  manifested  everywhere 
about  us  today  on  land  and  sea  and  in 
the  air,  toward  all  the  great  things 
that  promote  education,  inventions, 
science,  [literature  and  art,  all  those 
thing's  Which  Wave  come  to  a  free  and 
united  peoiple. 

Mr.  President,  in  closing,  let  me 
say  in  behalf  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  that  we  extend  to  you 
and  through     you     to  the     people     of 


Peek  skill,  our  hearty  appreciation  of 
the  work  you  have  accomplished." 

In  presenting  the  next  speaker  the 
presiding  officer  said: 

One  of  the  great  accomplishments 
of  the  Civil  War,  as  Mr.  Free  has  sug- 
gested to  us,  was  the  freeing  of  the 
race  which  up  to  that  time  in  Ameri- 
ca had  been  held  in  slavery.  We 
thought  it  fitting  upon  this  occasion 
to  have  the  greetings  of  that  race  pre- 
sented by  one  of  its  members,  and  we 
asked  Clifford  W.  Hankins,  a  graduate 
of  our  Drum  Hill  High  school,  a  grad- 
uate of  Hampton  College,  standing 
second  in  a  class  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five,  mow  hoi  ding  a  responsi- 
ble position  with  the  Penn  school  in 
South  Carolina,  to  do  so.  But  he  is 
unable  to  be  with  us,  having  assumed 
his  duties  in  the  school  some  three 
weeks  ago.  I  have  therefore  asked  his 
'brother,  James  W.  Hankins,  to  take 
his  place  and  he  will  now  speak  to  us. 
Hankins  Lauds  Lincoln 

Mr.  Hankins  spoke  as  follows: 

"It  is  a  great  privilege  on  behalf  of 
the  race  to  which  I    belong     to     pay 


JAMES    W.    HANKINS 

tribute  upon  this  occasion  to  Abraham 
Lincoln. 

He  is  enshrined  in  our  hearts  in  a 


8 


peculiar  way.  He  believed  in  us  when 
many  others  did  not. 

We  do  not  forget  that  it  was  he  who 
signed  the  Emancipation  Proclama- 
tion. We  do  not  forget,  too,  that  his 
act  was  also  ratified  by  the  people  of 
America  by  an  amendment  to  the  con- 
stitution, making  perpetual  what  he 
had  done. 

Our  people  have  tried  to  show  their 
appreciation  of  freedom  by  being 
worthy  of  it,  by  being  good  citizens, 
by  obeying  the  law,  by  learning  how 
to  do  useful  work. 

How  well  they  have  succeeded  I 
thing  it  would  be  better  to  let  others 
say. 

We  want  to  go  on  to  learn  more ;  to 
progress  further;  and  to  do  our  part 
in  working  together  with  all  those 
who  are  trying  to  make  America  a  bet- 
ter country  and  the  world  a  better 
world. 

I  may  say  that  my  people  in  Peeks- 
kill  appreciate  the  kindly  spirit  which 
the  people  of  Peekskill  have  always 
shown  toward  us.  You  have  shown 
the  spirit  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

We  are  glad  that  this  memorial  has 
been  erected  to  him  in  PeekskilOL" 

Turning  to  Mr.  Hankins,  the  presid- 
ing officer  remarked : 

"I  may  say  to  this  young  man  who 
has  just  spoken  to  us:  No  race  has 
made  such  great  progress  in  such  a 
short  time  as  has  your  race.  What  a 
wonderful  justification  that  is  of  Lin- 
coln." 

"One  of  the  most  important  results 
of  an  occasion  of  this  kind  is  that  it 
brings  the  present  generation  of  young 
people  into  a  more  intimate  touch 
with  the  great  events  of  the  past.  We 
are  very  glad  to  have  present  with  us 
this  afternoon,  the  members  of  our 
Peekskill  High  school.  The  program 
would  not  be  complete  without  a  greet- 
ing from  them.  One  of  their  number 
has  been  chosen  to  present  that  greet- 
ing ,  John  Naylor  Gisb,  who  will  now 
address  us." 

Greetings  from  the  High  School 

Mr.  Gish  spoke  as  follows: 
"It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  the 
Peekskill  High  school  accepts  the  in- 
vitation to  contribute  its  mite  to  these 
ceremonies  which  mark  the  establish- 
ment in  Peekskill  of  a  visible  token  of 


love  and  esteem  for  that  great  Ameri- 
can, Abraham  Lincoln. 

Tn  the  hearts  of  the  people  he  is  al- 
ready enshrined.  Tn  dedicating  this 
simple,  yet  beautiful,  exedra  we  are 
but  offering,  as  it  were,  a  permanent 
abode  where  the  spirit  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  may  have  an  abiding  place  in 
Peekskill,  ever  reminding  us  of  the 
sturdy  strength  and  plain  virtues  he 
exemplified,  of  duty  straightforwardly 
performed  "with  malice  toward  none 
and  charity  for  all." 

iHis  work  is  done,  but  Abraham  Lin- 
coln still  lives  and  will  live  on,  an  in- 
spiration to  all  lovers  of  peace  and 
liberty. 


JOHN   N.   GISH 

In  the  yeans  to  come  untold  multi- 
tudes as  they  pass  this  memorial  will 
think — if  only  for  a  moment — of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  and  go  on  their  way  re- 
freshed and  uplifted." 

Continuing,  the  presiding  officer 
said : 

"I  am  very  sure  that  you,  Mr.  Free, 
and  you  other  members  of  the  Grand 
Army  must  be  glad  to  know,  after  lis- 
tening to  that  speech,  that  we  have 
such  fine  young  men  of  the  new  gener- 
ation to  carry  on  your  work." 


"We  have  another  intimate  touch 
with  that  past  which  we  are  recalling 
today.  We  have  with  ms  upon  the  plat- 
form, a  lady  who  was  present  at  that 
famous  Republican  convention  in  Chi- 
cago, in  I860,  which  nominated  Mr. 
Lincoln  for  IP  resident,  Mrs.  Gertrude 
Windsor,  wiho  haslived  in  Peekskill  for 
several  years.  We  are  highly  honored 
to  'have  her  present  with  us.  I  want 
to  present  her  to  you  that  you  may  see 
heir  and  that  you  may  greet  her. 

(Mrs.  Windsor  then  rose  and  bowed 
while  the  audience  rose  and  applaud- 
ed.) 

Chauncey  M.  Depew  Writes 

We  had  hoped  to  have  present  with 
us  upon  this  occasion  our  fellow 
townsman,  former  'United  States  Sen- 
ator Chauncey  M.  Depew,  who  was 
present  with  Mr.    Lincoln   upon   that 


Chauncey  M.  Depew 

occasion  we  celebrate  today.  I  think 
if  we  had  completed  our  Memorial  the 
first  week  in  September,  as  we  hoped 
to  do,  we  might  have  had  that  honor. 
But  while  he  is  not  able  to  he  here,  he 
has1  sent  us  a  letter  of  greeting  and  it 
will  be  read  at  this  time  by  his  friend, 
Geo.  E.  Briggs,  a  former  President  of 
the  Lincoln  Society." 


The  letter  as  read  follows: 

New  York,  Sept.  22,  1925. 
My  dear  Mr.  President: 

I  cordially  congratulate  you  on  the 
completion  of  the  (fine  memorial  com- 
memorating President  Lincoln's  stop- 
ping at  Peekskill  on  'his  way  to  his 
first  inauguration.  It  is  a  fine  record 
for  the  Society,  and  a  tribute  to  your 
initiative  and  enthusiasm. 

iFromi  my  automobile  the  other  day, 
I  looked  on  the  site  of  the  monument 
and  the  wonderful  view,  I  do  mot  know 
of  anything  anywhere  which  presents 
such  a  panorama  of  (beauty  as  the  view 
of  the  Hudson  and  the  historical 
mountains  surrounding  the  bay. 

I  recall  a's  if  it  were  yesterday,  the 
day  of  Mir.  Lincoln's  brief  stopping  at 
our  depot.  The  demands  upon  him 
from  eVery  city,  village  and  hamlet  to 
stop  over  on  his  way  to  Wasihington, 
were  so  numerous  that  it  was  very 
difficult  for  him,  his  comanititee  or  the 
railway  companies  to  make  selections. 
One  of  the  -few  was  our  village.  The 
depot  was  then  at  the  foot  Of  Center 
street,  and  it  was  surrounded  toy  a 
large  open  space. 

The  fact  that  the  President's  train 
would  stop  at  Peekskill  was  widely 
known.  The  curiosity  to  see  Mr.  Lin- 
coln was  so  great  that  the  entire  pop- 
ulation, or  all  who  could  leave  home, 
came,  from  as  far  back  as  the  Con- 
necticut border — friendly  or  hostile, 
they  alll  came  to  the  depot. 

Business  in  the  village  was  practi- 
cally suspended  while  tlhe  train  was 
expected.  The  movement  of  the  train 
was  surrounded  with  unusual  condi- 
tions. The  assassination  of  the  Presi- 
dent was  threatened,  as  waJs  the 
wrecking  of  itlhe  train  on  which  he  was 
a  passenger. 

The  program  of  the  day  was  to  'be  a 
brief  welcome  and  then  a  short  speech 
from  the  Presidlent.  The  Hon.  William 
Nelson,  who  had  been  a  'Colleague  of 
Mr.  Lincoln  in  Congress,  was  selected 
to  welcome  him  on  behalf  of  the  vil- 
lage. 

Upon  arrival  Mr.  (Lincoln  immed- 
iately camie  out  of  his  car  and  stepped 
on  a  flat  car  which  was  the  reception 
platform.  The  applause  was  brief,  be- 
cause everybody  was  anxious.  The 
dominant  sentiment  was  intense  curi- 
osity. 


10 


It  is  difficult  for  us,  sixty-five  years 
afterwards,  to  visualize  the  conditions 
prevailing  at  the  time.  Our  village 
had,  compared  with  the  present,  a 
small  population.  In  its  general  char- 
acteristics it  had  changed  little  from 
Revolutionary  times.  It  had  grown 
slowly,  and  the  addition  to  its  popula- 
tion came  mainly  from  the  surround- 
ing neighborhood. 

While  the  people  enjoyed  general 
comfort,  very  few  could  'be  called  rich. 
Acquaintance  was  universal,  every- 
body knew  each  other  and  all  about 
each  other.  Churchgoing  was  univer- 
sal, and  that  led  to  gatherings  at  Sun- 
day service.  The  meeting  of  the  peo- 
ple 'before  and  after  'service,  the  pray- 
er meetings  and  Sunday  school  created 
a  remarkable  community  intimacy. 

The  election  of  IMr.  Lincoln  had  not 
been  anticipated  'by  the  people  who 
feared  an  outbreak  of  Civil  War.  Lin- 
coln himself  was  very  little  known, 
and  the  people  were  not  so  familiar- 


GEO.   E.   BRICfGS 

ized  with  him  as  with  his  rival,  Wil- 
liam H.  Seward,  and  other  well  known 
national  statesmen.  A  large  majority 
of  our  village  was  hostile  to  Mr.  Lin- 
coln, and  fearful  of  the  results  of  his 
election.     The   events  which  followed 


•so  rapidly  w'ere  so  dramatic  and  tragic 
as  to  overshadow  the  event  at  the  de- 
pot. 

I  do  not  know  of  anyone  now  living 
who  was  in  that  crowd.  It  makes  one 
feel  lonesome  to  recall  those  who  have 
passed  away.  I  stood  on  the  platform 
near  Mr.  Nelson  and  knew  personally 
almost  everyone  in  the  surrounding 
crowd.  They  were  merchants,  clergy- 
men, lawyers1,  farmeris  and  workers  in 
tihe  iron  foundry.  I  could  easily  have 
called  most  of  them  'by  nam'e.  They 
are  all  gone. 

Not  only  this  village,  but  the  whole 
country  and  the  world  are  now  paying 
tribute  to  and  honoring  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. With  Washington  he  has  be- 
come one  of  the  great  leaders  of  hu- 
manity for  all  times.  It  is  eminently 
fitting  and  proiper  that  this  spot,  which 
overlooks  and  embraces  the  scene  of 
his  visit  to  our  village,  should  be  ded- 
icated and  consecrated  to  his  memory, 
as  one  of  the  few  ip laces  in.  our  coun- 
try which  wiere  personally  associated 
with  him. 

Faithfully  yours, 

CIHAtTNOEY  IM.  DEPEW. 
To  CHESTER  A.  SMITH,  ESQ., 
President  Lincoln  Society. 

After  the  reading  of  the  letter  Pres- 
ident 'Smith  introduced  Thomas  Nel- 
son, Jr.,  in  these  words: 

"'How  fitting  it  is  that  we  should 
have  with  us  today  the  grandson  of 
the  man  who  introduced  Lincoln  to 
Peekskill  in  1861,  and  I  ami  very  glad 
that  he  is  here.  He  is  a  former  Presi- 
dent of  our  village,  who  hasi  always 
supported  me  in  every  progressive 
movement  I  have  undertaken  in 
Peekskill,  and  he  will  now  speak  to 
us:  Thomas  Nelson,  Jr.,  grandson  of 
Hon.  William  Nelson,  who  introduced 
Mr.  Lincoln  when  he  stopped  in 
Peekskill,  February  19,   1861." 

Thomas  Nelson's  Address 

Mr.  Nelson  spoke  as  follows: 
"Mr.  President,  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, fellow  citizen®:  It  has  been  the 
custom  of  nations  from  time  immem- 
orial to  erect  monuments  in  commem- 
oration of  great  'events  Which  have 
happened  in  their  midst.  This  monu- 
ment is  not  only  a  imon undent  to  the 
great  Lincoln,  a  momumient  to  a  great 


11 


man,  but  it  also  serves  a  useful  pur- 
pose in  allowing  the  pedestrian  ar- 
riving here  on  his  way  to  itihie  village 
to  sit  here  for  a  few  moments  of  rest 
and  reflection  upon  this  ibrtoad  granite 
seat.  It  would  indeed  be  a  man  with- 
out imagination  who  could  seat  him- 
self upon  this  seat  and  look  out  over 
this  'beautiful  bay  without  having 
brougb.it  to  his  mind  thou  gluts  of  the 
great  events  that  have  occurred  in 
this  locality. 

iLet  us  name  a  few  of  these  events. 
Mr.  Apgar  was  a  little  wrong,  I  think, 
about 'Henry  Hudson  mistaking  Anns- 
ville  creek  for  the  end  of  the  Hudson 
r'iver.     It  was     a     Dutchman     named 


Thomas  Nelson 

Jan  Peck,  who  some  years  after  Hud- 
son discovered  the  rtive-r,  sailed 
up  Annsville  creek  and  (established 
trading  relations  with  a  friendly  tribe 
of  Indians  with  whom  he  found  it 
profitable  to  deal,  those  Indians  prob- 
ably being  a  branch  of  the  same  tribe 
that  sold  Manhattan  Island  for  $24. 
And  from  that  circumstance  the  creek 
got  the  name  of  Peck's  Kill,  and  this 
name  being  later  applied  to  the  town 
which  began  in  this  valley  is  the  ori- 
gin of  the  name  of  our  village,  Peeks- 
kill. 


At  Stony  Point  to  the  south  was 
fought  one  of  the  dramatic  battles  of 
the  Revolution.  At  Tarrytown  Andre 
was  captured  by  John  Paulding,  a  na- 
tive of  Peekskill.  Tappan  Sea  and 
Sleepy  Hollow  were  made  famous  by 
the  pen  of  Washing  ton  Irving.  It  was 
farther  north  in  the  Catskills  that  Rip 
Van  Winkle,  as  related  by  the  same 
author,  drank  the  potion  that  led  to 
his  famous  sleep  of  twenty  years,  the 
first  case  of  sleeping  sickness  on  re- 
cord. And  Rip  Van  Winkle  is  not  the 
only  one  in  this  valley  who  has  been 
afflicted  with  such  a  disease. 

Washington  had  his  headquarters  in 
Peekskill  at  one  time.  And  on  the 
spot  which  this  memorial  overlooks 
Lincoln  stopped  in  1861. 

What  a  happy  thought  it  was,  Mr. 
Chairman,  to  set  up  a  memorial  to 
Lincoln  at  this  place.  What  famous 
places  we  can  look  upon  from  here 
and  what  wonderful  scenery. 

But  it  is  an  impressive  scene  in 
which  we  are  now  taking  part.  What 
wonderful  things  these  youngsters 
who  are  here  and  who  have  many 
years  yet  to  live  will  witness.  In  what 
great  events  they  may  take  part  we 
do  not  know.  What  future  leaders 
may  come  out  of  those  before  us! 

Let  us  hope  that  the  things  they 
have  seen  here  today  may  be  an  inspi- 
ration to  them  and  may  be  an  encour- 
agement to  them  to  be  worthy  of  these 
great  men  of  whom  we  are  reminded 
by  these  historic  places  all  about  us." 

Mr.  Bates  Writes  Letter 

Following  ex-President  Nelson's  re- 
marks, Mr.  Smith  said: 

"We  had  invited  to  be  present  to- 
day David  Homer  Bates,  who  was 
manager  and  cipher  operator  of  the 
War  Department  Telegraph  Office  dur- 
ing the  Civil  War,  and  who  saw 
President  Lincoln  almost  daily  during 
that  time.  But  unfortunately  the  con- 
dition of  his  health  would  not  permit 
his  presence  here.  He  has,  however, 
sent  his  address  upon  the  subject 
upon  which  he  was  asked  to  speak 
and  it  will  now  be  read  by  Geo.  E. 
Briggs." 

Mr.  Briggs  stepped  to  the  reading 
desk: 

Looking  at  his  chronometer,  he 
said  to  Mr.  (Smith  that  the  hour  was 


12 


growing  late,  the  air  and  wind  chilly, 
there  was  much  more  on  the  program 
to  be  carried  out  and  suggested  the 
reading  of  the  letter  be  omitted  as  it 
was  very  long.  The  President  accept- 
ed the  recommendation. 

Mr.  Bates'  letter  is  as  follows: 

Fort  Sumter's  fateful  signals  had 
not  ceased  to  reverberate  over  the 
hills  and  valleys  of  the  north  when  the 
electric  telegraph  flashed  a  message 
from  Washington  calling  for  operator's 
for  service  in  defense  of  the  Union. 
This  dispatch  was  dated  April  22,  1861, 
and  signed  by  Andrew  Carnegie,  who 
had  just  been  appointed  by  Simon 
Cameron,  Secretary  of  War,  as  Assist- 
ant General  Manager  of  Military  Rail- 
roads and  Telegraph. 

In  compliance  with  that  telegram 
my  superintendent,  David  McCargo, 
selected  four  operators  to  proceed  to 
the  Capitol  at  once.  Ail  of  the  quar- 
tette except  myself  are  long  since 
dead.  We  reached  Washington,  April 
25,  1861,  and  reported  for  duty  at  the 
War  Department,  where  I  first  met 
Lincoln.  The  telegraph  office  was  lo- 
cated in  the  old  War  Department 
building  (toTn  down  in  1879  to  make 
room  for  the  present  larger  State  and 
War  Department  building).  It  ad- 
joined Secretary  Cameron's  room,  and 
as  we  entered  we  could  see  three  men, 
all  of  them  tall,  one  very  massive, 
President  Lincoln,  Secretary  Cameron 
and  General  Winfield  Scott — old  "Fuss 
and  Feathers."  I  was  first  assigned  to 
duty  at  the  navy  yard  under  Captain, 
afterwards  Admiral  Dahlgren,  but  a 
month  later  was  transferred  to  the 
War  Department,  where  I  remained 
for  over  five  years  except  for  several 
weeks  in  June  1864,  when  I  was  on 
duty  at  General  Grant's  Headquarters, 
City  Point,  Va. 

At  that  time  the  executive  mansion 
was  not  as  now  connected  by  tele- 
graph, and  all  the  President's  tele- 
grams were  handled  in  the  War  De- 
partment telegraph  office. 

From  that  time  until  April  14,  1865, 
the  day  he  was  shot  by  Booth,  I  met 
Lincoln  every  day  and  many  nights, 
for  he  visited  the  telegraph  office  daily 
anxious  to  receive  the  latest  news 
from  the  front.  He  conversed  freely 
with  the  cipher  operators  and  at  in- 
tervals told  his  inimitable  stories. 


Many  of  the  dispatches  were  in  ci- 
pher, and  some  times  because  of  tel- 
egraphic errors  it  was  extremely  dif- 
ficult to  unravel  the  apparently  mean- 
ingless jargon.  Lincoln's  interest 
and  anxiety  at  such  periods  were  very 
great,  especially  when  the  dispatches 
referred  to  a  battle.  Chairles  A.  Dana, 
long  editor  of  the  New  York  Sun,  had 
'been  assigned  to  the  duty  of  visiting 
Grant's  headquarters  in  Mississippi, 
and  afterwards  in  Tennessee,  and  his 
telegraphic  reports  were  generally 
veTy  full,  and  always  of  great  interest. 
Mr.  (Lincoln  looked  forward  eagerly 
to  Mr.  Dana's  accounts  of  the  various 
engagements    with    the    eneony.      The 


DAVID  HOMER  BATES 

latter 's  strong  virile  manner  of  ex- 
pressing himself  on  important  ques^ 
tions  is  well  known,  and,  as  the  dis- 
patches were  audibly  read  by  Mr. 
Lincoln,  possibly  merited  criticism 
were  softened  in  the  reading  by  side 
remarks.  It  was  his  haibit  to  read 
aloud,  and  to  bring  his  listeners  into 
the  current  of  his  thoughts  by  ques- 
tion or  suggestion. 

In  our  cipher  code  there  were  sev- 
eral words,  each  translated  "Jefferson 
Davis."  Other  words  stood  for  "Rob- 
ert E.  Lee,"  and  so  on.    Whenever  Mr. 


13 


Lincoln  came  to  these  names  he  would 
■shorten  or  transform  them  into  some- 
thing else — for  instance,  "Jeffy  D.", 
"Bobby  Lee,"  etc.,  so  that  there  seemed 
to  go  out  from  him  at  such  time,  and 
indeed  on  many  occasions,  a  gentle 
influence.  He  seemed  to  be  thinking 
of  the  leadens  of  the  rebellion  as  way- 
ward sons  rather  than  as  traitorous 
brethren. 

Once,  not  more  than  sixty  days  be- 
fore his  death,  he  came  initio  the  tele- 
graph office  with  a  photograph  of  him- 
self, which  had  been  addressed  to  his 
wife  and  sent  through  the  mail.  The 
sender  added  to  the  picture  a  rope, 
which  passed  around  the  neck  and 
then  upward,  tautly  drawn,  as  indicat- 
ing his  hellish  desire. 

Mr.  Lincoln  remarked  that  it  had 
caused  Mrs.  Lincoln  some  anxiety 
which  he  did  not  share,  although  he 
added  some  words  of  regret  that  any 
human  'being  could  be  <so  devoid  of 
feeling  as  thus  to  wound  an  innocent 
woman.  He  said  that  he  received 
many  eommuniicationsi  of  similar  char- 
acter and  had  come  to  give  them  only 
a  passing  thought. 

"With  malice  toward  none,  and 
charity  for  all" — "The  judgments  of 
the  Lord  are  true  and  righteous." 
These  words  taken  from  Lincoln's  sec- 
ond inaugural,  March  4,  1865,  so  well 
illustrate  his  loving  nature  and  his 
trust  in  God  that  I  am  led  to  speak 
particularly  of  those  characteristics, 
and  to  add  my  humble  tribute  to  his 
memory. 

If  love  be  the  fulfilling  of  the  law, 
then  in  my  opinion,  Abraham  Lincoln 
was  the  nearly  perfect  example  of  his 
generation.  I  do  not  speak  of  his  be- 
lief in  a  (Divine  Being,  nor  in  the 
Christian  faith,  although  his  manifold 
utterances  on  the  subject  of  slavery 
alone  shall  ever  proclaim  to  the 
thinking  world  the  fact  that  at  the 
very  root  of  his  spiritual  nature  he 
held  sacred  the  teachings  of  Christ 
and  his  practice,  as  his  words  when 
stripped  of  a  certain  rudeness  inci- 
dent to  his  early  surroundings  in  life 
exemplified  those  teachings.  But  I 
refer  to  that  period  of  his  career  dur- 
ing which,  if  ever,  the  inborn  and  in- 
bred kindliness  of  his  nature  was 
taxed  to  the  utmost  by  the  treason  of 
many  of  his  former  political  acquaint- 
ances, includling  some  of  the  northern 


copperheads,  and  the  blind  impatience 
of  those  wiho  seemed  to  think  the  Civil 
War  'should  be  carried  on  according  to 
their  own  narrow  selfish  views.  What- 
ever may  have  been  his  thoughts  re- 
specting his  enemies  and  their  efforts 
to  sting  and  crush  him,  his  truly  no- 
ble heart  in  its  outward  expressions 
exhibited  only  love,  charity  and  be- 
nevolence. 

(Lincoln  is  sometimes  called  the 
story-teller  of  the  White  House,  but 
not  all  of  the  so-called  Lincoln  stories 
were  his,  a  few  were  probably  original 
but  the  many  bear  his  name  only  be- 
cause he  retold  them  and  many  more 
because  he  happened  to  be  present 
when  they  were  repeated  by  others. 

GHir  Francis  Burmand,  long  editor  of 
Punch,  in  an  address  at  Chester,  Eng- 
land, years1  ago,  said  in  substance  that 
many  witticisms  which  were  supposed 
to  be  original  at  the  time  of  publica- 
tion in  Punch  had  been  copied  in  other 
journals,  and  after  wandering  all  over 
Europe  and  America,  the  old  jokes 
sadly  (battered  and  disguised,  were 
often  brought  back  to  Mr.  Punch,  who 
was  expected  to  welcome  as  disting- 
uished foreigners,  the  children  of  his 
own  creation  or  of  which  he  was  a 
godfather.  Sir  Francis  added  that 
Punch  kept  a  joke  index  to  which,  in 
such  cases,  they  often  referred  only 
to  discover  the  "fly  in  the  amber." 

In  the  abstract,  this  principle  of  the 
antiquity  of  jokes  is  correct.  The  only 
one  of  Lincoln's  witticisms  which  I  do 
not  recall  having  seen  in  print  will 
illustrate  this  point. 

In  the  War  Department  telegraph 
office,  adjoining  one  of  the  cipher  op- 
erator's desks,  there  was  at  one  time 
an  old  fashioned  hair- cloth  lounge  on 
which  the  'President  some  times  re- 
clined while  waiting  for  news  from 
the  front.  On  one  occasion  he  was  seen 
to  get  up  from  the  old  lounge  and 
flick  from  his  coat  the  small  brown 
insect  known  to  entomologists  as  be- 
longing to  the  species  "dimex  dectu- 
larius,"  in  common  language  a  bed 
bug.  As  he  did1  sO  he  looked  around 
with  his  usual  smile  when  emitting 
humor  and  said,  "Well,  I  have  always 
had  a  great  fondness  for  that  did  set- 
tee, but  now  that  it  has  become  a 
little  buggy  I  shall  have  to  give  it 
up." 


14 


Abraham  (Lincoln,  termed  by  James 
Russell  Lowell,  "that  brave  fore-see- 
ing man,  sagacious,  patient,  dreading 
praise  not  Iblame,"  how  we  admire 
your  high-born  aim's,  your  Christ-like 
moods,  your  calm,  courageous  spirit, 
ever  hopeful,  even  wnen  battles  were 
lost,  and  ever  merciful,  even  when 
treason  seemed  to  foe  triumphant.  To 
you,  Oh  Saviour  of  our  foeloved  coun- 
try; these  visions  of  eternal  right  and 
justice  between  man  and  man,  and  of 
certain  victory  of  right  over  wrong, 
these  far-off  visions,  unseen  by  others 
except  a  few  souls  of  kindred  mould 
with  you  were  sublime  verities  as  in- 
deed they  later  came  to  be  to  most  or 
all  of  your  countrymen. 

During  those  last  four  years  of  Lin- 
coln's national  career  even  until  the 
day  of  its  tragic  ending  I  was  fortu- 
nate in  being  permitted  to  see  him 
and  talk  with  him  daily,  for  he  came 
to  the  War  Department  telegraph  of- 
fice morning,  afternoon  and  evening, 
to  receive  the  latest  news  from  the 
armies  at  the  front.  His  tall,  homely 
form  could  foe  seen  crossing  the  well 
shaded  lawn  between  the  White  House 
and  the  War  (Department,  day  after 
day,  with  unvaried  regularity.  Many 
times  he  remained  till  midnight,  and 
on  several  occasions  all  night. 

I  was  too  young  at  that  time  to 
form  a  matured,  intelligent  opinion 
of  his  character,  fout  I  find  entered  in 
my  war  diary  under  date  of  April  15, 
1865,  the  day  of  his  death,  the  follow- 
ing from  James  3:7,  Which  is  the  best 
expression  in  a  few  words  of  what  I 
then  esteemed  him  to  be:  "\Fir;st  pure, 
then  peaceable,  gentle  and  easy  to  foe 
entreated,  full  of  mercy  and  good 
fruits,  without  partiality  and  without 
hypocrisy." 

A  careful  study  of  his  published 
speeches  and  writings,  and  a  perusal 
of  many  of  his  biographies  since  that 
record  was  made  have  only  served  to 
confirm  my  youthful  estimate  of  his 
simple  and  altogether  lovely  charac- 
ter, whidh  has  now  fo'ecome  the  object 
of  wonder  and  admiration  of  the  civil- 
ized world,  combining  with  its  innate 
gentleness,  a  marvelous  tact  in  the 
handling  of  mien  and  in  the  settlement 
of  complex  question's  of  national  and 
international  importance,  a  faculty  of 
leading  public  opinion  into  broader 
channels  and  thus  aiding  in  the  for- 


mation of  righteous  judgments  a  skill- 
ful control  of  current  events,  an  abil- 
ity to  gather  up  useful  fruits  and  ton- 
ing them  (for  more  effective  service  to 
his  country  and  mankind,  a  boundless 
charity  for  and  deep  sympathy  with 
the  suffering  and  oppressed. 

All  this,  indeed,  in  spite  of  envy, 
jealousy,  malice  and  political  and 
personal  hatred  in  the  midst  of  the 
greateist  civil  war  of  history.  Surely 
like  the  Saviour  "he  endured  the  con- 
tradiction of  sinners"  and  the  mantle 
of  his  charity  covered  not  only  the 
down-trodden  everywhere,  but  his 
own  and  his  country's1  enemies1  as 
well,  and  if  he  could  have  spoken  after 
the  fatal  trail et  entered  his  brain,  he 
would  no  doubt  have  said,  "Father, 
forgive  them,  they  know  not  what  they 
do." 

Then  the  interesting  feature  of  the 
afternoon  took  place,  the  unveiling  of 
the  memorial.    'President  Smith  said : 

"The  Lincoln  Memorial  tablet  will 
now  be  unveiled  foy  Dr.  A.  D.  Dunbar. 
Dr.  Dunbar  is  a  former  President  of 
the  Lincoln  (Society,  and  was,  as  you 
know,  for  many  years  superintendent 
of  one  of  our  pufolic  s'chool  systems, 
and  he  too  ib rings  us  into  intimate 
touch  with  'Lincoln,  having  been  a 
classmate  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  son,  Robert 
T.  [Lincoln,  in  Harvard  College.  I 
take  great  pleasure  in  presenting  Dr. 
Dunlbar." 

Dr.  Dunbar  Knew  Lincoln's  Son 

iDr.  Dunlbar  spoke  as  follows: 
"It  was  a  surprise  to  me  and  it  is 
doutfotless  a  disappointment  to  you  that 
foy  the  enforced  absence  of  our  distin- 
guished fellow  townsman,  Hon.Chaun- 
cey  M.  Depew,  the  honor  of  unveiling 
this  memorial  has  been  conferred  upon 
me.    And  for  these  reasons: 

Rofoert  T.  Lincoln,  son  of  the  Pres- 
ident, was  a  memfoer  of  class  1864,  at 
Harvard;  I  was  in  the  class  of  1866, 
and  during  the  two  years  from  1862, 
when  I  entered,  to  1864,  when  he 
graduated,  we  formed  an  acquaint- 
ance ship  which  was  renewed  twenty 
years  Hater  when  the  Hon.  Rofoert  T. 
Lincoln  was  (Secretary  of  War.  Also 
that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mrs. 
Lincoln  in  (Cambridge  when  her  son 
graduated.     And  for  the  further  rea- 


15 


son  that  I  am  the  senior  living  Presi- 
dent of  the  local  Lincoln  Society. 

The  history  of  our  country  abounds 
in  great  names:  Jefferson  and  Frank- 
lin and  Hamilton;  Grant  and  Sher- 
man and  Sheridan;  Webster  and 
Sumner  and  Seward;  and  many 
others.  The  dimming  influence  of 
time  and  the  onrushing  surge  of  cur- 
rent events  have  obscured  the  mem- 
ory of  their  names  and  their  deeds; 
but  there  are  two  names  that  survive 
and  which  will  shine  with  increasing 
lustre  as  the  years  go  by.  They  are 
Washington,  the  beloved,  the  Father 
of  his  country,   and  Lincoln,   the   pa- 


Dr.  A.  D.  Dunbar 

tient,  the  courageous,  the  preserver 
of  the  Union,  making  possible  a  migh- 
ty nation. 

But  I  shall  leave  to  my  friend,  Sen- 
ator 'Mastick,  the  development  of  this 
theme. 

Ail  over  this  country  and  in  foreign 
lands  Lincoln  societies  have  been 
formed,  where  annually  the  most  dis- 
tinguished and  the  most  eloquent  pay 
tribute  to  Lincoln'®  life  and  memory. 
The  Lincoln  Society  of  Peekskill, 
was  organized  in  1903,  and  annually 
since   that  time,   a  meeting  has  been 


held  at  which  his  services  have  been 
recounted  and  his  memory  honored. 

At  one  of  these  meetings,  as  you 
have  heard  from  the  chairman,  this 
plot  of  ground  was  given  to  the  So- 
ciety by  John  iSmith,  Jr.,  with  his  ex- 
pressed wish  that  at  some  future  time 
a  suitable  memorial  should  be  erect- 
ed on  this  spot  to  Lincoln's  memory. 

And  what  spot  could  be  more  suit- 
able or  more  appropriate?  To  the 
north  are  the  government  reserva- 
tion's of  Iona  Island  and  West  Point; 
to  the  south  are  Stony  Point  and  Ver- 
planck  Point  and  the  wide  expanse  of 
Tappan  Zee,  all  replete  with  memor- 
able associations'  of  the  'Revolutionary 
struggle.  Just  below  is  the  old  pas- 
senger station  where,  from  the  plat- 
form of  a  waiting  train,  then  on  his 
way  to  Washington,  there  to  assume 
the  arduous  duties  of  the  Presidency, 
there  to  proclaim  freedom  to  an  en- 
slaved race,  there  to  achieve  immor- 
tality, Lincoln  briefly  addressed  the 
assembled  citizens. 

Today,  Capt.  John  Smith's  wish  is 
realized.  By  the  lactivity  and  the  en- 
ergy of  the  President  of  the  Lincoln 
Society,  Chester  A.  'Smith,  and 
through  the  patriotic  generosity  of 
friends  the  funds  were  pledged,  the 
exedra  completed  and  the  tablet  has 
been  placed. 

And  now  in  behalf  of  the  Lincoln 
Society  of  Peekskill,  I  unveil  the  tab- 
let, in  the  belief  that  to  all  here  pres- 
eit,  to  every  passer  by  who  shall 
recognize  the  medallion,  or  read  the 
inscription,  to  all  who  shall  sit  and 
resit  within  this  circle,  to  ail  wbo  from 
this  parapet  shall  look  out  upon  the 
lordly  Hudson  and  sense  its  associa- 
tions, to  all  shall  dome  inspiration 
for  a  more  devoted  patriotism,  a  keen- 
er sense  of  civic  duty  and  obligation, 
inspiration  for  a  better  life  and  a 
nob  1  er  m  an  ho o d . ' ' 

Then  while  the  audience  stood,  Dr. 
Dunbar  pulled  aside,  ait  exactly  3.27 
p.  m.,  the  handsome  silk  flag  which 
had  covered  the  bronze  tablet. 

When  the  audience  had  been  again 
seated,  President  Smith  introducing 
the  orator  of  the  day,  said: 

"We  invited  to  deliver  the  principal 
address  this  afternoon  a  citizen  of 
our  own  county,  a  man  eminently 
worthy  because  of  his  life  and  char- 


16 


acter.  to  interpret  Lincoln  to  us  ui>on 
this  occasion;  a  man  of  culture,  a 
veteran  of  the  World  War,  a  Senator 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  from  our 
own  26th  district,  Hon.  Seabury  C. 
Mastick,  of  Pleasant  voile,  who  will 
now  address  us." 

Senator  Mastick's  Address 

iS'enator  Masitick's  address  was  in 
full  as  follows: 

Three  score  and  four  years  ago,  at 
the  Very  threshhold  of  his  greatness, 
Abraham  Lincoln  spoke  in  this  village 
to  our  grandfathers.  Three  score 
years  ago  Abraham  Lincoln  passed 
into  the  great  beyond.  In  that  short 
space  of  a  little  over  four  years  he  had 
freed  a  race,  saved  a  nation  and,  mak- 
ing himself  immortal,  had  taken  his 
eternal  place  among  the  stars. 

His  fame  has  increased  with  the 
passing  years  until  today  his  memory 
is  revered  the  world  over  and  he  is 
looked  upon  by  all  nations  as  one  of 
the  greatest  characters  in  history. 

Many  pens  have  drawn  his  picture  in 
words  of  eulogy.  Many  tongues  have 
voiced  his  praise.. 

"The  color  of  the  earth  was  ground  in 

him,  the  red  earth, 
The  tang     and    odor     of    the     primal 

thing — 
The  rectitude    and     patience    of     the 

rocks; 
The  gladness  of  the  wind  that  shakes 

the  corn; 
The  courage  of  the  bird  that  dares  the 

sea; 
The  justice  of  the  rain  that  loves  all 

leaves; 
The    pity   of  the    snow  that  hides  all 

scars ; 
The  loving  kindness    of    the    wayside 

well; 
The  tolerance  and  equity  of  light 
That  gives  as  freely  to  the  shrinking 

weed 
As  to  the    great    oak    flaring    to    the 

wind — 
To  the  grave's  low  hill  as  to  the  Mat- 

terhorn 
That  shoulders  out  the  sky." 

I  would  speak  to  you  today  of  Lin- 
coln— a  man  of  courage.  He  was  a 
rnanysided  man  and  his  qualities  have 
been  admired  and  discussed  from  all- 
most  every  angle.  Still  I  do  not  now 
recall  that  his  quality  of  courage  has 


been  as  much  emphasized  as  other 
qualities.  His  courage  stands  out  so 
commandingly  in  his  actions  and  his 
words  that  it  is  fitting  to  bring  a  few 
of  the  instances  to  our  attention,  not 
only  that  it  may  interest  uts  but  that 
we  may  be  inspired  from  his  example 
to  show  courage  ourselves  in  our  lives 
as  citizens  of  this  great  country  which 
hie  ipre served  for  us. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  courage, 
moral  and  physical.  Lincoln  pos- 
sessed both  in  high  degree.  Of  his 
moral  courage  I  shall  speak  more  at 
length.     Of  his     physical!    courage,     I 


SEABURY    C.    MASTICK 

shall  cite  a  single  instance  which  is 
within  the  knowledge  of  my  own  fam- 
ily. 

When  the  Confederate  General 
Early  made  his  famous  raid  on  Wash- 
ington in  July,  1864,  my  father-in-law 
was  one  of  the  soldiers  stationed  in 
the  fortificationis  of  Font  Stevens. 

President  Lincoln  twice  visited  the 
Fort  and  each  time  took  a  position  in 
full  view  of  the  enemy.  Om  one  occa- 
sion a  man  was  killed  very  near  him 
and  on  the  other  a  memoer  of  the 
President's  party  was  wounded  in  the 
leg.    In  each  case  it  was  difficult  to  get 


17 


Lincoln  to  yieild  to  the  entreaties  of 
his  friends  and  to  retire  to  a  less  ex- 
posed position. 

As  a  young  man  he  was  famous  for 
his  physical  strength  and  his  courage. 

'Lincoln's  moral  courage  is  prover- 
bial. 

He  was  courageous  enough  not  to 
fear  the  truth.  During  his  long  life  in 
politics  there  were  many  occasions 
when^  he  was  attacked  by  his  enemies 
with  misrepresentation  and  innuendo. 
His  manner  of  meeting  such  charges 
is  well  ilustrated  hy  a  letter  he  wrote 
in  reply  to  such  a  charge  at  the  very 
'beginning  of  his  career  when  he  was 
but  27  years  of  age. 

Allen,  Robert 
New  Salem,  June  21,  1836 

Dear  Colonel:  I  am  told  that  during 
my  absence  last  week  you  passed 
through  this  place,  and  stated  publicly 
that  you  were  in  possession  of  a  fact  or 
facts  which,  if  known  to  the  public, 
would  entirely  destroy  the  prospects  of 
N.  W.  Edwards  and  myself  at  the  en- 
suing- election;  but  that,  through  favor 
to  us,  you  should  forbear  to  divulge 
them.  No  one  has  needed  favors  more 
than  I,  and,  generally,  few  have  been 
less  unwilling  to  accept  them;  but  in 
this  case  favor  to  me  would  be  injustice 
to  the  public,  and  therefore  I  must  beg 
your  pardon  for  declining  it.  That  I 
once  had  the  confidence  of  the  people  of 
Sangamon,  is  sufficiently  evident;  and  if 
I  have  since  done  anything,  either  by  de- 
sign or  misadventure,  which  if  known 
would  subject  me  to  a  forfeiture  of  that 
confidence,  he  that  knows  of  that  thing, 
and  conceals  it,  is  a  traitor  to  his  coun- 
try's interest. 

I  find  myself  wholly  unable  to  form 
any  conjecture  of  what  fact  or  facts, 
real  or  supposed,  you  spoke;  but  my 
opinion  of  your  veracity  will  not  permit 
me  for  a  moment  to  doubt  that  you  at 
least  believed  what  you  said.  I  am  flat- 
tered with  the  personal  regard  you  man- 
ifested for  me;  but  I  do  hope  that  on 
more  mature  reflection,  you  will  view 
the  public  interest  as  a  paramount  con- 
sideration, and  therefore  determine  to 
let  the  worst  come.  I  here  assure  you 
that  the  candid  statement  of  facts  on 
your  part,  however  low  it  may  sink  me, 
shall  never  break  the  tie  of  personal 
friendship  between  us.  I  wish  an  an- 
swer to  this,  and  you  are  at  liberty  to 
publish  both,  if  you  choose. 
Very  respectfully, 

A.  LINCOLN. 

This  s'am'e  fearlessness  of  the  truth 
was  illustrated  again  and  again  dur- 
ing the  civil  war.  No  attempt  to  con- 
ceal the  facts  about  a  campaign  or  a 
battle  could  escape  him.  He  wanted 
to  know  and  knowing  he  could  act  un- 
derstandingly.    He  well  knew  that  fear 


is  founded  in  ignorance  and  that  wis- 
dom to  act  came  with  knowledge. 

He  was  courageous  enough  to  admit 
he  was  wrong  when  it  was  clear  that 
he  was. 

He  was  not  a  military  man  and  yet 
by  virtue  of  his  being  President  he 
was  the  Commander-in-iChief  of  the 
Army.  As  such  he  from  time  to  time 
criticized  the  plans  of  his  generals  and 
made  suggestions  of  his  own.  His  was 
the  responsibility  and  his  word  was 
law.  Yet  when  convinced  that  he  w'as 
in  error  he  quickly  accepted  what  he 
believed  to  be  the  wiser  counsel  even 
going  to  the  'extent  of  writing  General 
Grant  at  one  time  after  criticizing  one 
of  his  plans  as  a  mi  stake  which  after- 
wards was  a  success:  "I  now  wish  to 
make  the  personal  acknowledgment 
that  you  were  right  and  I  Was  wrong." 

And  yet,  having  the  responsibility, 
he  was  courageous  enough  to  accept  it 
and  the  full  penalty  of  such  acceptance 
when  necessity  arose. 

His  Was  the  responsibility  for  the 
selection  of  the  generals  in  the  field. 
When  he  made  a  mistake  he  took  the 
full  responsibility.  When  the  general 
made  a  success  he  gave  the  general  all 
the  credit.  His  was  the  responsibility 
for  the  emancipation  proclamation — a 
decision  which  at  the  time  meant  the 
life  or  death  of  the  nation.  And  his 
was  the  responsibility  of  giving  or 
taking  away  life  in  the  case  of  those 
found  guilty  by  court  martial.  And  in 
alii  these  instances  he  never  shirked 
his  duty.  His  cheerful  nature  was 
saddened.  His  warm  heart  was 
chilled.  His  homely  face  took  on  lines 
of  care.  But  he  never  wavered  from 
the  path  he  iset  out  to  follow. 

He  was  courageous  enough  to  chal- 
lenge the  power  of  England.  At  the 
very  beginning  of  the  war,  scarcely  a 
month  after  his  inaugration,  he  stated 
the  position  of  the  Union  in  such  clear, 
unmistakaible  and  emphatic  terms  that 
England  and  the  world  knew  just  what 
to  expect  if  they  treated  with  the 
South  as  a  separate  power.  In  his  in- 
structions to  Charles  Francis  Adams, 
his  Minister  to  England,  he  said: 

Department  of  State, 

Washington,  April  10,  1861 
First — The    President   has    noticed,    as 
the    whole   American    people   have,    with 
much  emotion,  the  expressions  of  good- 
will  and    friendship    towards    the   United 


18 


States,  and  of  concern  for  their  present 
embarrassments,  which  have  been  made 
on  apt  occasions,  by  her  Majesty  and 
her  ministers. 

You  can  make  due  acknowledgement 
tor  these  manifestations,  but  at  the 
same  time  you  will  not  rely  on  any  mere 
sympathies  or  national  kindness.  You 
will  make  no  admissions  of  weakness  in 
our  Constitution,  or  of  apprehension  on 
the  part  of  the  Government.  You  will 
rather  prove,  as  you  easily  can,  by  com- 
paring the  history  of  our  country  with 
that  of  other  States,  that  its  Constitu- 
tion and  Government  are  really  the 
strongest  and  surest  which  have  ever 
been  erected  for  the  safety  of  any  peo- 
ple. You  will  in  no  case  listen  to  any 
suggestions  of  compromises  by  this 
Government  under  foreign  auspices, 
with  its  discontented  citizens.  If,  as  the 
President  does  not  at  all  apprehend,  you 
shall  unhappily  find  her  Majesty's  Gov- 
ernment tolerating  the  application  of 
the  so-called  seceding  States,  or  waver- 
ing about  it,  you  will  not  leave  them  to 
suppose  for  a  moment  that  they  can 
grant  that  application  and  remain 
friends  with  the  United  States.  You 
may  even  assure  them  promptly,  in  that 
case,  that  if  they  determine  to  recognize, 
they  may  at  the  same  time  prepare  to 
enter  into  alliance  with  the  enemies  of 
this  republic.  You  alone  will  represent 
your  country  at  London,  and  you  will 
represent  the  whole  of  it  there.  When 
you  are  asked  to  divide  that  duty  with 
others,  diplomatic  relations  between  the 
Government  of  Great  Britain  and  this 
Government  will  be  suspended,  and  will 
remain  so  until  it  shall  be  seen  which  of 
the  two  is  most  strongly  intrenched  in 
the  confidence  of  their  respective  na- 
tions and  of  mankind. 

There  wasn't  any  doubt  as  to  his  at- 
titude, was  there?  And  this  very  po- 
sition, taken  at  the  beginning  of  the 
war,  kept  England  neutral  and  was  a 
great  material  factor  in  the  winning 
of  the  war. 

He  was  courageous  enough,  at  the 
outset  of  his  career  to  take  the  unpop- 
ular side  of  a  great  controversy  be- 
cause 'he  believed  he  Was  right.  He 
was  courageous  enough  to  maintain 
this  position  throughout  his  life  and 
he  was  courageous  enough  to  put  his 
thought  into  deed  and  to  set  free  a 
race.  Prom  his  earliest  years  he  es- 
poused the  cause  of  freedom  and  op- 
posed slavery.  Slavery  to  him  was 
fundamentally  wrong  and  admitted  of 
no  palliation  or  argument.  He  be- 
lieved in  the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence and  in  the  Constitution  and  the 
very  idea  of  slavery  was  in  his  mind 
repugnant  to  the  spirit,,  if  not  to  the 
letter,  of  those  great  documents.  His 
devotion  to  the  Constitution,  his  ab- 
horrence of  slavery  and  his  belief  that 


right  and  justice    would  prevail  were 
the  mainsprings  of  his  ilife. 

And  now  he  dwells  in  loving  rever- 
ence in  our  'hearts.  iWe  call  him 
"Father  Abraham."  The  nation  has 
ens'hrined  his  image  in  a  wonderful 
memorial  in  Washington.  To  enter 
there  into  the  presence  of  his  spirit  is 
a  benediction  and  a  prayer. 

We  meet  here  today  to  recognize  in 
our  humble  way  the  debt  we  owe  to 
Abraham  [Lincoln.  We  unveil  this 
memorial  that  it  may  be  a  lasting  tes- 
timony of  our  thankfulness  that  such 
a  man  walked  the  earth. 

The  true  patriot — the  father  of  his 
people — the  saviour  of  his  country — 
the  martyr  to  his  ideals — the  immortal 
whose  spirit  broods  over  America  to- 
day and  would  guide  us  in  justice, 
honor  and  charity  in  our  leadership  of 
the  nations.  'Such  was  Abraham  Lin- 
coln whose  name  we  delight  to  honor. 
President  Smith  then  said: 
"My  friends,  we  thank  you  all  for 
your  presence  upon  this  occasion.  We 
thank  Senator  Mas  tick  and  these 
other  speakers  for  these  splendid  ad- 
dresses, and  all  who  in  any  way  have 
helped  to  make  this  occasion  possi- 
ble and  to  make  it  a  success1.  We  will 
conclude  our  exercises  by  singing 
one  verse  of  America." 

This  act  concluded  the  ceremonies 
of  the  afternoon  which  occupied  just 
about  one  hour  and  a  half. 

Letters  of  regret  were  received 
from  honorary  members,  Senator 
William  T.  Byrne;  Congressman 
J.  Mayihew  Wainwright;  George 
Haven  Putnam,  Rev.  B.  C.  Warren, 
Richard  IB.  Coon.  Also  from  invited 
guests,  James  B.  Ford,  Victor  C.  An- 
derson, Dr.  John  A.  Smith,  Dr.  George 
P.  Kunz,  President  of  the  American 
Scenic  and  Historic  Preservation  So- 
ciety. 

In  connection  with  the  dedication, 
Chester  A.  (Smith,  President  of  the 
Lincoln  Society,  wishes  to  thank 
publicly  Dunlap's  Music  Store  for 
furnishing  the  piano  for  the  use  of  the 
High  School  orchestra,  the  Peekskill 
Transfer  Company  for  transporting 
the  piano,  the  Highland  Democrat  for 
printing  the  programs,  William  W. 
Tears,  for  the  use  of  his  flags,  Com- 
missioner of  Public  Safety  Clifton  E. 
Forbush  for  shutting  off  traffic  on 
South  street     during    the     exercises, 

19 


which  added  so  much  to  the  success 
of  the  occasion,  and  the  police  de- 
partment and  Chief  Henry  Burke  for 
co-operation,  E.  A.  Bartle  use  of 
chairs,  McPhillips  &  Vaughey  gift  of 
chairs. 

The  memorial  is  in  the  form  of  a 
granite  exedra,  18  feet  in  length,  with 
a  radius  of  9  feet,  designed  by  Arch- 
itect Gilbert  H.   Anderson. 

The  inscription  on  the  tablet,  made 

by  Tiffany,  reads  as  follows : 

This  Memorial 

Overlooking    the    Spot   Where 

ABRAHAM    LINCOLN 

Spoke   to   Peekskill   Citizens 

February  19,  1861 

Was  Erected  to  His  Memory  in  1925    by 

The  Lincoln  Society  in  Peekskill 

with  the 

Contributions    of    Generous    Friends 

The  site  was  presented  in  1921  by 

Captain  John  Smith,  Jr., 
President  of  the  Society   1917-191S 


Lincoln's   Speech  in  Peekskill, 
February  19,  1861 

At    Peekskill,    in    reply    to    a    brief 


address  from  Judge  Nelson,  he  said: 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  I  have  but  a 
moment  to  stand  before  you,  to  listen 
to  and  return  your  kind  greeting.  I 
thank  you  -for  this  reception  and  for 
the  pleasant  manner  in  which  it  is 
tendered  Itb  me,  by  our  mutual  friend. 
I  will  say  in  a  single  sentence,  in  re- 
gard to  the  difficulties  that  lie  before 
mi©  and  our  beloved  country,  that  if  I 
can  only  be  as  generously  and  unani- 
mously sustained,  as  the  demonstra- 
tions I  have  witnessed  indicate  I 
sh-aill  be,  I  shall  not  fail;  but  without 
your  sustaining  hands  I  am  sure  that 
neither  I,  nor  any  other  man,  can 
hope  to  surmount  these  difficulties.  I 
trust  that  in  the  course  I  shall  pur- 
sue I  shall  be  sustained,  not  only  by 
the  party  that  elected  me,  but  by  the 
•patriotic  people  of  the  whole  coun- 
try.— From  History  of  The  Adminis- 
tration of  President  Lincoln:  includ- 
ing his  speeches,  letters,  addresses, 
pro'clamiations  and  messages.  By 
Henry  J.  Raymond,  New  York,  J.  C 
Derby     .     .     .     1864. 


The  Site  As  It  Looked  Before    the  Memorial  Was  Erected 


20 


The  Lincoln  Memorial  in  Books 


Concurrent  with  the  erection  of  the  Lincoln  Memorial  in  granite  and 
bronze  there  was  established  THE  LINCOLN  MEMORIAL  IN  BOOKS.  This 
is  now  a  fund  of  $1,000,  the  yearly  income  from  which  is  used  to  purchase 
books  on  Lincoln  or  kindred  subjects  for  free  circulation  through  the  Field 
Library,  the  public  library  of  Peekskill,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Library 
having  voted  to  accept  all  books  so  presented  and  to  permit  the  same  to  be 
suitably  inscribed. 

THE  LINCOLN  MEMORIAL  IN  BOOKS  was  made  possible  by  the  gener- 
osity of  the  following:  Miss  Agnes  M.  Sutton,  Mrs.  Mary  B.  Requa,  Mrs.  Melvin 
R.  Horton,  and  Mrs.  Evelyn  Armstrong,  each  of  whom  contributed  $250,  Miss 
Sutton  in  memory  of  her  father,  the  late  James  T.  Sutton;  Mrs.  Requa  in 
memory  of  her  husband,  the  late  Amos  C.  Requa;  Mrs.  Horton  in  memory  of 
her  father,  the  late  Albert  Chase;  and  Mrs.  Armstrong  in  memory  of  her  hus- 
band, the  late  Henry  L.  Armstrong. 

Books  purchased  with  the  income  from  these  gifts  and  all  subsequent 
ones  will  be  suitably  inscribed. 

THE  LINCOLN  MEMORIAL  IN  BOOKS,  providing  for  the  free  circula- 
tion of  Lincoln  literature,  offers  a  unique  and  effective  method  of  presenting 
Lincoln's  life  and  ideals  to  each  succeeding  generation,  at  the  same  time 
keeping  alive  the  memory  of  worthy  local  citizens,  and  will  in  time  give  to 
Peekskill  a  Lincoln  collection  which  will  be  outstanding  both  as  to  size  and 
material. 

Additions  to  THE  LINCOLN  MEMORIAL  IN  BOOKS  will  be  welcomed  by 
the  Lincoln  Society,  which  will  accept  designated  gifts  or  bequests  from  indi- 
viduals, or  contributions  from  organizations,  for  that  purpose. 


JAMES  T.  SUTTON.  Born  in  New  York  City,  December  9,  1833.  Became 
a  resident  of  Peekskill  1835.  Conducted  for  many  years  the  Peekskill  Gas 
Works,  which  his  father  had  established.  Member  Peekskill  Board  of  Water 
Commissioners  seventeen  years.  Its  President  for  fourteen  years.  A  large 
factor  in  the  development  of  Peekskill's  water  system.  Suggested  and  instru- 
mental in  introducing  Peekskill's  sanitary  sewer  system.  Instrumental  in  se- 
curing the  location  of  the  State  Camp  of  Military  Instruction  of  the  National 
Guard  at  Peekskill.  Member  Peekskill  Board  of  Park  Commissioners  four 
years.  Its  President  for  three  years.  Member  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Second 
Presbyterian  Church.  Married  May  8,  1851,  Miss  Mary  E.  Williams.  Four 
children:  Arthur  Gilbert  Sutton,  Minnie  Letitia  Sutton,  Allan  L.  Sutton,  Agnes 
M.  Sutton.    Died  February  25,  1904. 

REV.  AMOS  C.  REQUA.  Born  Yorktown,  October  10,  1839.  Prepared 
for  the  Methodist  ministry  but  ill  health  prevented  his  assuming  the  duties  of 
a  traveling  preacher.  Local  preacher.  Devoted  himself  to  religious  work  in 
town  of  Yorktown.  Became  resident  of  Peekskill  1882,  joining  the  First  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.     Shortly  thereafter  became     Superintendent     of     its 

21 


Sunday  School.  This  position  he  held  for  twenty  years,  devoting  to  it  and  to 
the  work  of  religious  education  and  the  training  of  the  young  people  con- 
nected with  this  large  and  growing  church  practically  all  his  time,  indepen- 
dent means  permitting  him  to  do  this  without  financial  reward.  Life  member 
Westchester  County  Bible  Society.  Its  Treasurer  for  twenty  years.  Life 
member  American  Bible  Society.  Married  April  17,  1872,  Miss  Mary  E.  Day- 
ton.   Died  April  22,  1922. 

ALBERT  CHASE.  Born  Furnace  Woods,  April  4,  1847.  Became  resi- 
dent of  Peekskill  1880.  Merchant.  A  pioneer  in  the  wholesaling  of  vegeta- 
bles and  farm  products  in  the  village.  One  of  the  organizers  and  charter 
members  of  Bald  Eagle  Tribe,  No.  264,  Independent  Order  of  Red  Men. 
Member  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  A  steward  of  the  church  for  many 
years.  Member  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  church.  At  one  time  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  School  of  the  neighboring  community  of  Florenceville.  Mar- 
ried September  23,  1864,  Miss  Cordelia  Albina  Ball.  Eight  children:  William 
H.  Chase,  Albert  B.  Chase,  Edward  Chase,  Mrs.  Melvin  R.  Horton,  Mrs.  Cor- 
rella  Van  Horn,  Harry  St.  Clair  Chase,  Lulu  Chase,  Loftus  R.  Chase.  Several 
years  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  married  Mrs.  Elizabeth  F.  Pierce.  Died  May 
24,  1923. 

HENRY  L.  ARMSTRONG.  Born  Adams  Corners,  N.  Y.,  March  23,  1843. 
Became  resident  of  Peekskill,  1871.  Coal  merchant.  Trustee  Peekskill,  Sav- 
ings Bank  thirty  years.  Director  Westchester  County  National  Bank  fifteen 
years.  Director  Highland  Democrat  Company  twenty-two  years.  Its  Presi- 
dent nineteen  years.  Member  Peekskill  Board  of  Park  Commissioners  twenty 
years.  Its  President  fifteen  years.  Superintendent  Sunday  School  Tompkins 
Corners  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Member  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  fifty-two  years.  Member  of  its  Board  of  Trustees  forty-seven  years. 
Also  served  at  one  time  as  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School.  Married 
June  23,  1886,  Miss  Margaret  Fox  Barmore.  She  died  in  1908.  Married  Jan- 
uary 29,  1910,  Miss  Evelyn  Paulding  Ward.     Died  February  9,  1925. 


22 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  URBANA 

973.7L63EL6388L  com 

LINCOLN  IN  PEEKSKIIL  PEEKSKILL 


3  0112  031811901 


